Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 others passed away in an IAF chopper crash in Tamil Nadu’s Coonoor on Wednesday.
The Mi-17V5 helicopter was just 10 minutes away from landing when it crashed near Coonoor in Nilgiris district in Tamil Nadu.
The helicopter was on its way from the Sulur IAF base to the Defence Services College (DSC) at Wellington when the crash took place.
Tributes began to pour in for him as soon as his death was confirmed by the IAF.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he is deeply anguished by the helicopter crash.
Calling the CDA an outstanding soldier and a true patriot, the PM said he greatly contributed to modernising the Indian armed forces and security apparatus.
“His insights and perspectives on strategic matters were exceptional. His passing away has saddened me deeply. They served India with utmost diligence. My thoughts are with the bereaved families,” he added.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called his untimely death “an irreparable loss to our Armed Forces and the country”.
“Deeply anguished by the sudden demise of Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 other Armed Forces personnel in an extremely unfortunate helicopter accident today in Tamil Nadu,” Singh said.
Remembering the CDS for his service to the nation, Singh said he served the country with exceptional courage and diligence.
“As the first Chief of Defence Staff, he had prepared plans for jointness of our Armed Forces. My heart goes out to the families of those who lost their loved ones in this accident. Praying for the speedy recovery of Gp Capt Varun Singh, who is currently under treatment at the Military Hospital, Wellington,” he tweeted.
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said he is deeply shocked at the tragic demise of CDS General Bipin Rawat and his wife.
We worked closely together in the last few years. It is a huge loss to the nation, he added.
Home Minister Amit Shah also expressed his deepest condolences on the sad demise of the CDS, his wife and 11 other Armed Forces personnel.
“My thoughts are with the bereaved families. May God give them the strength to bear this tragic loss. Praying for the speedy recovery of Gp Capt Varun Singh,” he tweeted.
